I don’t like a bunch of excuses. It literally annoys me and as I feel annoyed, I also feel sorry for the person who does not yet understand that excuses do not serve anyone. They do not make amends, they do not heal, they did not sustain, and they do not empower.

Excuses are just excuses. They are empty reasons that fail to convey why you did not do something that was expected of you. They do not quicken the spirit or comfort the heart. And they are not pleasing to the ear. At the root, they are the ultimately expression of self betrayal.

The reason why excuses (not in every instance, but in many cases) do not go over well and sound inauthentic to the hearer, is because excuses cannot sustain anyone. They betray your character and cannot cover the preconceived shame or inability you have imposed on yourself to live up to what was expected of you.

I would rather an authentic person tell me NO because I realize they have embraced their personal power which has freed them from the prison of YES.

Rather than giving an excuse, simply be grateful. Be loving. And try again next time. Tell them you love them, and commit to do better. But don’t make the commitment to them – make it to yourself.

Commit that you will embrace your YES or not be fearful of saying NO. Walking in the truth and honor who you are: one who is growing, evolving, becoming and forgiven. You cannot do everything that is expected of you and sometimes you will fail to meet every expectation. Be okay with that, or continue to give excuses.

God says that a righteous man's yea, is yea, and his no, is no. In other words, your word, as one who is righteous, should be sufficient. You do not need to provide more insight or context. Just commit to doing your best and embrace the truth of who you are. Once you do that, one word is enough.

"All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37, James 5:12)